Game of Thrones became a phenomenon so big that the makers of the show decided to extend the legacy and create a prequel of the fantasy drama. This gave birth to the series titled House of the Dragon. The first season of the show came to a close in October 2022 with a great response from the audience. The prequel was such a hit that HBO greenlit a second season almost immediately after the first season began.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms were merged by the Targaryen Conquest. It takes place nearly 200 years before the occurrence of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. The first season introduced us to the key characters of the show and took us roughly to the start of the conflict. Considering the amount of drama that went into Season 1, one can only try to predict what the second season will look like.
What will happen in House of the Dragon Season 2?
Expect to witness many major events in Season 2 including conspiracy within the Red Keep, Rhaenys Targaryen mounting Meleys once again, and the search for more Dragonriders. One crucial scene from George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood called the Blood and Cheese could also be a part of Season 2. The show’s writer, Sara Hess, had dropped a hint about the big moment during an interview with Variety.
Expect a more brutal Rhaenrya in Season 2
The first season of House of the Dragon concluded with Aemond killing Lucerys during a dragon fight in a big storm. Rhaenyra, who had been trying to keep the peace between the greens and the blacks, gets the bad news of his son’s death. And the last episode shows her enraged after learning that Alicent’s son killed hers. She is not going to play friendly any longer.
House of the Dragon Season 2 filming updates
The filming of the show will begin soon. Matt Smith, who plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, confirmed that he received the script for Season 2 during an appearance at the Middle East Film and Comic Con in March. The filming is reportedly kickstarting on 17 April in Cáceres, Spain. The team will then shoot some crucial scenes in Warner Bros. Studios in England and will wrap up the production in December 2023.
House of the Dragon Season 2 cast
Most of the main cast is expected to return for House of the Dragon season 2. So expect to see Emma D’Arcy return as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith return as Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke return as Alicent Hightower, Eve Best return as Rhaenys Targaryen, Steve Toussaint return as Corlys Velaryon, Ewan Mitchell return as Aemond Targaryen, Harry Collett return as Jacaerys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel return as Criston Cole and more.
Unfortunately, fans won’t be seeing Paddy Considine in the new season as his character, Viserys Targaryen, died in the first season. Milly Alcock, who essayed the role of young Rhaenyra will also not return for any flashback scenes. Showrunner Ryan Condal also hinted earlier that Emily Carey, who played the young Alicent, would also not reprise her role for the new season. New actors who are expected to join the cast include names like Emily Beecham (for the role of Alys Rivers) and more.
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How many episodes of House of the Dragon Season 2 will be there?
A report in Deadline suggests that the second season will only have eight episodes. While the initial plan was to have 10 episodes, the many script rewrites compelled the showrunners to cut it down by two episodes. An HBO spokesperson also noted that the decision was made not because of cost-cutting, but due to story-driven reasons.
When is the show expected to premiere?
Considering that the cast will only finish filming the show in December 2023, we can accept the fact that Season 2 will not be premiering this year. A show like House of the Dragon also requires a long period of time in post-production as well, so the show is mostly arriving sometime in 2024.
How many seasons of House of the Dragon will there be after Season 2?
At the time of writing, the makers had decided to conclude the show with two seasons. However, during an interview with Deadline, they also discussed the possible plans for more seasons after this. The latest buzz suggests that HBO is willing to have a third season, with the showrunners having multiple conversations about whether or not there will be a fourth season of the show as well.
Martin had also previously mentioned in a blog post, “It is going to take four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish.” So, let’s see what the future holds for this fantasy drama series in the coming years.
All Images: Courtesy IMDb
This story first appeared in Lifestyle Asia India
